Electric lighting fixture



Wmm 13, 1956 M. w. SCHWARTZ ET AL 2,770,717

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 6. 1953 A v I;

l2 INVENTOR. 30 '1' MART/N w SCHWARTZ BY MAX J. MARKS WwmM/z UnitedStates Patent ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE Martin W. Schwartz and Max J.Marks, Chicago, 11]. Application February 6, 1953, Serial No. 335,534

7 Claims. (Cl. 240-73) This invention relates in general to an electriclighting fixture and is more particularly described as a combinationlighting and night light fixture adapted to be used in bathrooms andpowder rooms, but may have a more general application wherever used inother locations.

In many locations, particularly in powder and toilet rooms, it isdesirable to have considerable illumination when a person is occupyingthe room, and it is also desirable to provide a dim or night lightillumination which will be suflicient to locate the fixture itself, toovercome extreme darkness in the room and to provide an accessible.switch by means of which the illumination can be quickly and easilychanged from one type to the other. It is not necessary that bothdegrees of illumination be in efiect at the same time as the night lightis so small in comparison with the regular illumination that when thehigh light is turned on, the low light will be turned off.

This lighting fixture is particularly designed and intended for use overmedicine cabinets, vanity glasses, mirrors and the like, and provides anoverhead horizontal light projecting outwardly from the wall toilluminate a mirror placed upon the wall which supports the fixture.

An important object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixtureadapted to project outwardly from the wall and having horizontallighting elements carried thereby at a distance from the wall and toilluminate a surface above or below the fixture and in the plane of thebase of the fixture.

A fiurther object of the invention is to provide a combination lightingfixture having relatively high and low lighting elements, one of whichis a reduced power night light and the other is a higher power displaylight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination nightlight and display fixture which comprises straight tubular lamps fordisplay lighting and an incandescent lamp of low power for nightlighting.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combinationfixture for bath rooms, and the like, having a high power displaylight,and a low power night light, and a convenient plug-in outlet for shavingand other purposes.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an electriclighting fixture for straight tubular lamps having a base for mountingagainst the wall and the lamps projecting outwardly from the base, andditfusing shades therefor of curved construction seated at oppositesides of the fixture and engaged at the outer edge thereof to provide asomewhat oval outline.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and willbe apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which, i

a Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric lighting fixture inaccordance with this invention as viewed from the underside thereof; i i

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fixture as mounted above a mirror ascommonly used in connection with a vanity or bathroom cabinet; 1 a

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the reflector shown in Fig.1 with some of the parts removed;

"ice

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the night light and the controllingswitch;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional View as taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1. i

A high degree of illumination is not required for many rooms which areoccasionally used and the present invention provides an electriclighting fixture for straight tubular lamps which is adapted to bemounted on the wall above a bathroom or vanity cabinet so that thecabinet or a mirror thereof will be illuminated thereby, and the fixtureis also provided with a reduced power or night light which may be turnedon when the high power light is turned ofi, thus providing suflicientillumination for anyone entering the room to locate the fixture itselfand to dimly illuminate the room so that a switch on the fixture can beoperated to turn on the high light as desired. 1

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, this fixture comprisesa base 10 with side flanges 12 and 14 extending in the same direction asopposite sides of the base and connected to the ends of the base are endplates 16 having side flanges 18 for strengthening purposes.

The end plates 16 extend in the same direction from the base as the sideflanges 12 and 14 thereof and connecting the end plates at their outerfree extremities is a cross bar 20 preferably in the form of an I-beam,the base of which is spot-welded or otherwise secured to the outerextremities of the end plates.

Projecting inwardly at the base of each end plate and additionallyconnecting it to the base 10 is a bracket 22 which afiFords a protectedspace for mounting a lamp starter device 24 which is inserted through anappropriate opening in each end plate. Mounted upon the brackets 22 atboth ends and extending between them is a cover plate 26 which hasrounded side edges 28 and further outwardly rounded extensions 30 withparallel sides fitting within the side flanges 1-2 and 14 of the base.Thisplate may be secured by fastening screws 32 inserted at the endsthrough the plate and into the tops of the brackets 22.

Mounted at the sides of the cover plate 26 in the space between theoutwardly rounded edges 28 and the adjacent edges of the extensions 39are holder springs 34 each curving upwardly from its center anddownwardly at the ends and having a central angular mounting clip 36 rby which it is pivotally connected to one of the sides 28.

The spring is thus free to center itself in a limited arc of mjovernentand presents outer roundedextremities for engaging the inner edge of acurved transparent shade 38 of glass or other material. Each shade 38 ismore curved at its outer edge and each shade is of such a width that theouter curved end thereof may be pressed below the adjacent outer edge ofthe I-beam 20 by slightly com? pressing the spring 34 and the shade isheld in place by a slide 40 which has inwardly curved side flanges 42adapted to embrace the edges of the outer flanges of the I-beam and toproject inwardly of the I-beam in contact with the outer edges of theshades 38 thus holding them resiliently in place against the supportingsprings 34.

Thus either of the upper or lower shades 38 maybe disengaged from thisholding arrangement and removed by pressing the inner end of the shadeagainst the spring 34 sufiiciently to disengage the outer end from thecorresponding edge of the slide 40. p

In order to produce a smooth and finished appearance, a decorative capplate 44 is attached over each end of the fixture and it has curved sideflanges which extend over the ends of the shades 38 and over the endsofthe I-beam 20 and the slide 40 thereof holding these parts tightlyinplace and enclosing them to provide a neat and finished appearance,The cap plates 44 may each be secured in place by means of a threadedstem 46 which extends through a hole 48 in the plate with a fasteningnut 50 applied to the end of the stem and against the Plate in a wellknown manner.

The cover plate 26 also provides a space between the end brackets 22 forconnecting wires, transformers and other parts necessary for straighttubular lamps 52 suitably mounted between the end plates 16. Mountedintermediate the ends of the fixture by attaching it to one of the sideflanges 14 of the base plate is a multiple way switch 54 having an outerrotatable knob 56 for changing the switch from one connection to anotherand mounted to rotate on the switch stem is a knob 58 which has a sleeve60 which extends through the side flange 14 provided at its inner sidewith flattened portions 62 for engaging a similarly shaped opening withflattened portions at the end of a flat mounting link 64 held in tightengagement on the sleeve 60 by a nut 66 at the inside ofthe flange 14.To the other end of the link 64 is connected a small or miniaturelighting socket 68 in which a lamp 70 of small wattage is mounted sothat by rotating the knob 58, the lamp socket and the lamp 70 may berotated from a position below and parallel with the side flange 14 to aposition at an angle thereto with the lamp 70 projecting above the edgeof the side flange so that a new lamp may be inserted and removed whenthe socket 68 is in this position. To replace the lamp 70, itisnecessary to remove the shades 38 and the cover plate 26 in the mannerexplained in order to rotate the socket 68 for access to its lamp 70.

In the edge of the side flange 14 at the end of the lamp socket 68 andopposite the lamp 70, the side flange is formed with outwardly extendinglouvers 72 through which light rays from the lamp 70 may pass in a thusrestricted manner to produce a limited illumination through the base andthe cover plate 26 to the outside of the fixture.

At one, end of the base is a convenient outlet 74 of the. plug-in typewhich may be used for electric shavers, electrical massage devices, orin fact, for any electrical equipment. This socket is usually at one endof the fixture but may be located at any convenient place along thebase. In order to confine the light of the lamp 70 substantially to theoutlet louvers 72, a reflector 76 is preferably attached to the socket68 and extends over two sides of the lamp confining the lightraystherefrom to a space at the end of the lamp socket and opposite thelouvers so that the faint light from this lamp will not be shiningthrough the interior of the fixture but substantially all of the lightwill be directed outwardly through the louvers 72. In order to fit thecover plate 26 within the base side flanges 12 and 14, it is necessaryto provide a cut out 78 (flange 14 being broken away in Fig. 3 to showthe cut out) in one 'of the side extensions 30 of sufficient length toembrace the switch 54 and also the lamp 70 and its socket 68 so that thereflector 76 is of value in preventing the dispersion of light from thelamp 70 except through the louvers 72. Another cut-out 80 is alsoprovided extending from the edge of the side extension 30 to embrace theplug outlet 74.

With this construction, a complete night light fixture is produced of atype particularly designed andintended for illuminating a mirror A whichis supported substantially from the same wall to which the fixtureitself is applied, the advantage and novelty being that the lamps of thefixture are horizontally arranged parallel to the surface of the mirrorabove and in front of the mirror and shining downwardly thereon so thatthere is a good illumination of the mirror surface when the fixturelights are. connected and there is sufficient illumination forilluminating the room and for also shining upon the mirror when thenightlight is connected and the other. lights areturned off. Thecontrolling switch maybe of-a three or four way construction in oneposition of which both lights are turned off, in another position, thenight light is turned on and the other lights are turned off, in a thirdposition, the high lights are turned on and the night light is turnedoff. Usually the convenience outlet plug 74 is connected for use at anytime, but a fourth switch connection may be provided for turning it offor on as desired.

The transparent shades 38 may be separately removed as previously setforth and the cover plate 26 may be removed by removing the screws 32without removing the lamps 52 which are mounted in the end plates 16 andalso to replace the small night lamp 70.

While a preferred construction has thus been described in detail, itshould be regarded by way of illustration rather than as a limitation ofthe invention as various changes in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spiritand scope thereof.

We claim:

1. A night lighting fixture for cabinets, mirrors and the like,comprising supporting means including a translucent base extendinghorizontally from a wall and over a cabinet or mirror to' beilluminated, a straight tubular lamp supported in the fixture in ahorizontal position at a distance from the wall to which the fixture isconnected so that it is in advance of a cabinet opening or a mirror,transparent shade means supported by the base and enclosing the lamp, anight light mounted in the base of the fixture and having an openingtherethrough for light rays therefrom, means for shielding the rays ofthe night light from the interior of the fixture and from illuminatingthe shade means, and switch means for connecting the straight tubularlamp or the night light for illumination at different times but not atthe same time.

2. In a lighting fixture, a supporting base having opposite sideflanges, end plates attached to the base and extending in the samedirection as the side flanges from the base, means for connecting theouter ends of the end plates, a cover plate fitting between the sideflanges of the base and between the end plates, spring means attached tothe sides of the cover plate, lamp enclosing shades in curved segmentsextending outwardly at the sides of the fixture, each in contact at oneedge with the spring means and the outer edge being curved inwardlybelow the said connecting means, and a slide fastener movable over theconnector and engaging the outer ends of both shades to bind them inplace against their respective springs.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 2, characterized by having themeans connecting the outer ends of the end plates in the form of anI-beam, and said slide fastener engaging the outer webs of the I-beamand having inwardly turned edges to embrace the edges of the I-beam andto engage the outer ends of the shades to hold them in place against thesprings.

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3, in which cap plates areprovided for the outer sides of the end plates which extend over theends of the base, thev outer sides of the end plates and over the endsof the shades and the slide fastener for holding them in place, therebyenclosing the ends of the fixture.

5. A structure in accordance with claim 2, having a straight tubularlamp parallel to the base and a relatively small night light mounted inthe base and substantially covered by the said cover plate, a switchalso mounted in the base having an operating stem extending outwardlythrough the base and rotatable to one position to illuminate the firstnamed tubular lamp or to illuminate the small night light, but not bothof them at the same the flange when the said cover plate is removed sothat lamps may be interchanged in the socket.

7. A lighting fixture in accordance with claim 6 in which the nightlight is provided with a reflector bent over the end and two sides ofthe lamp opposite the flange and the louver therein to confineillumination from the night light so that it will pass outwardly throughthe louver and will not pass internally of the fixture itself.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSRegester Mar. 23, 1937 Lieberman July 25, 1939 Sher June 25, 1940Stewart June 10, 1941 Hodges Dec. 9, 1941 Margolis Sept. 26, 1950

